Mitral valve stenosis is a condition that narrows the opening of your heart’s main pumping chamber. It can cause chest discomfort and shortness of breath. It can also make you feel tired and sluggish.
Your doctor may diagnose your condition after a physical exam, an ECG (electrocardiogram) and other tests. They may also order diagnostic tests to rule out other heart conditions that can cause similar symptoms.
Some causes of mitral stenosis are a result of an untreated infection, like rheumatic fever or a congenital heart defect. Others are related to aging or excessive calcium deposits around your mitral valve. Some medications, radiation treatment to your chest and other conditions can also cause it.
Symptoms vary from person to person, depending on the severity of your valve narrowing and the other factors mentioned above. They can include chest pain, shortness of breath, and fatigue. They can also be worse during exercise or when lying down.
You may notice other signs of mitral stenosis, such as a murmur when you breathe or a heart palpitation when your heartbeat becomes irregular. If you have these symptoms, call your provider right away to schedule an appointment with a cardiologist.
Lifestyle changes: Changing your diet and reducing stress can help you manage mitral valve stenosis symptoms. Your diet should be high in fruits and vegetables, low in red meats and high in fiber. This may help you control blood sugar and cholesterol levels, both of which can lead to heart disease.
Medication: Medications can help relieve the symptoms of mitral stenosis by lowering your blood pressure and helping remove excess fluid from your body. They also can reduce the risk of developing a heart rhythm problem called atrial fibrillation, which may lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Surgery: Surgery can repair or replace your damaged heart valve if other treatments aren’t effective or aren’t appropriate for you. A surgeon can use a minimally invasive method, like valvuloplasty, or open-heart surgery, which requires more extensive work and a longer recovery time.
Interventional catheterization: A long, thin tube called a catheter is threaded from a vein or artery into your heart. A dye flows through it to arteries in your heart, helping them show up on X-ray images.
Other procedures: A doctor may use a small balloon attached to a thin tube to stretch your narrowed mitral valve wider, which can increase blood flow through the heart and reduce the chance of a stroke. This is known as valvoplasty, and it can be done in the office or at a hospital.
In children, valvoplasty is the most common way to treat mitral valve stenosis. However, some babies with severe mitral stenosis don’t require a procedure.
Your health care provider may recommend anticoagulants, such as heparin and other blood thinners, to help prevent blood clots. These drugs can prevent clots from forming in your heart, which can travel to your brain and cause a stroke. They can also lower your risk of a heart failure that develops with a buildup of fluid in the lungs or another problem called pulmonary edema.
